Tetris World Championship won by 16-year old Joseph Saelee

Seven-time Tetris world champion has been defeated by 16-year old newcomer, Joseph Saelee.

Tetris fans got their big eSports moment over the weekend, with the Classic Tetris World Championships at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo. In a nail-biting climax, seven-time champ, Jonas Neubauer, was defeated by 16-year old newcomer, Joseph Saelee.

Before facing off against Neubauer, Saelee knocked out Japanese grand master Koryan, in an equally tense semi-finals bout.

Having become the reigning Tetris champion, the 16-year old takes home the grand prize of $1,000.

Saelee was overcome with emotion after his victory, saying that he came to the tournament "just to qualify." His opponent Neubauer added that the teen "played with pure heart," calling his performance "exceptional."

An interesting point to note is that Saelee utilises the hypertapping technique, which means he furiously taps the NES D-pad rather than holding it down. With his newfound victory, we may see more players adopt the technique going forward.

You can watch the full match on Twitch.